Kerwin Pierre-Louis was gunned down in Chase Gardens.
A “grieving family member” of St. Lucia’s latest homicide victim Kerwin Pierre-Louis said she is not happy with the things other relatives have said about the deceased.
Police said Pierre-Louis, while walking, was accosted by three masked men and shot to death in Chase Gardens, Castries on Thursday, Sept. 10, at about 11:40 a.m. – the island’s 20th homicide.
Following his death, several relatives told St. Lucia News Online (SNO) that Pierre-Louis’ death may have stemmed from his criminal past. They indicated that he spent time behind bars for killing a man in Chase Gardens a few years ago and that he was recently released from prison for drug trafficking at sea.
However, another family, who requested anonymity like the others, said in a Whatsapp statement sent exclusively to SNO, that the persons who claimed to be a family member “was only trying to tarnish the family’s name, and if in truth was a family member, must have not been on good terms” with Pierre-Louis.
The relative further told SNO that Pierre-Louis spent some time on remand awaiting trial for the killing, but claimed the matter was dismissed because “it was self-defense”.
“Everyone has a past,” the relative said. “They are not proud? That person really tried to make it look like he was the worst person out there.”
The family member also admitted that Pierre-Louis spent four months in jail for drug trafficking offences.
“He wasn’t the first and won’t be the last. Am not saying it was right but everybody tries to make some fast cash every now and then. He was no loner. He had family who loved and cared for him, he had his own home and was self-employed as a shop keeper,” the relative said, adding “signed grieving family member”.
In an earlier interview, other family members painted a different picture of the 36-year-old homicide victim.
“It’s so sad that no matter how clean you try to wipe your slate, your past always catches up with you,” one relative said, adding that no matter “you cannot run from what you do. It always catches up. Always.”
The relative said Pierre-Louis, who was unemployed and had no children, may have been trying to change his life “after all that has happened”.
“He was a loner. He wasn’t a bad boy but he wasn’t good either. Like I said, the past catches up with us. He had killed someone a few years ago in Chase Gardens. He was not too long released from prison for an unrelated matter.”
Another relative told SNO that Pierre-Louis was “not one that we as his family are proud of but he was not a bad person”.
Pierre-Louis was reportedly ambushed and shot while taking a short cut to his home in Chase Gardens. Neighbours reported hearing about half dozen shots before his body was discovered.
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